Coffee
by CrimsonGear
Summary: Teslen drabble when Helen takes Nikola out for a drink. Not set in a particular season.


Well, chartreuseian seems to have swayed me to finally upload a sanctuary fic.

This came from the thought that Nikola never seems to have any cash, unless he steals it from the government :)

* * *

"There should be a law against perpetual poverty," Nikola whined as Helen lead him down the street.

Helen raised her eyebrow and turned her head to look at him. "Going to start a campaign for the impoverished are you?"

"I was talking about me," Nikola said indignantly.

"Oh yes, because god forbid Nikola Tesla should be without a fiver in his back pocket and a few million to build his Death Ray," Helen mocked, chuckling at Nikola's frown.

"Firstly," he said, raising his hand and holding up a finger, "I told you; I'm sorry about the Death Ray - I didn't think it would go so pear-shaped. As for that slight about the size of my wallet - there was no need to kick me when I'm down. Two-fifty, a nut and bolt and some stamps - that's all I have to my name, Helen!" he added, exasperated.

Helen giggled at her friend, "Oh, come now, Nikola." She patted him on the back, "That's why I'm buying you lunch," she teased, chuckling again and pulling a scowling Nikola into a one-armed hug.

"You, Miss Helen Magnus are a cruel, cruel woman," Nikola said theatrically allowing Helen to drag him into a small cafe.

* * *

"Remind me again how you managed to get me to drink tea?" Nikola asked, glaring at the contents of his teacup.

"Because coffee is the devil's creation and I will not have it at my table, much less pay for it," Helen replied curtly, taking a sip from her own cup.

"I could have paid for it," Nikola mumbled, glancing up at Helen.

"Coffee was two dollars-eighty, unless they take random bits of metal and the faces of dead people on paper-"

"Alright, Helen I get it - now stop picking on me!"

Helen scoffed into her tea, and quickly put the cup down before it ended up in her lap.

"What's so damn funny?" Nikola snarled.

"You, you silly sod," Helen said smiling. "You look like a child, pouting like that."

"I thought I asked you to stop picking on me," Nikola muttered, crossing his arms and looking away.

"And I asked you to be nice - I'm still waiting for you to refer to my staff by their given names," Helen retorted.

"Oh come on, Helen," Nikola started, giving her a look. "You can't seriously tell me 'Huggy-Bear' wasn't the best nickname ever. And Booty... Well..." he drifted off, a glint in his eye that had Helen slapping his arm.

"Dirty old man, you shouldn't be looking."

"And yet I hear no disagreement to 'Huggy Bear'. Shame that girl of Nigel's died, I'd love to keep taunting young Wilhelm with it," Nikola replied, sipping his drink, before grimacing as he remembered it was tea not coffee in the cup.

Helen rolled her eyes. "Incorrigible, you're so bloody incorrigible."

"Oh but you love it," Nikola said smirking.

"There is a reason I keep you around, but I'm pretty sure that's not it," Helen replied, her lips curling into a smile against her will.

"Care to tell me what that reason is then?"

"When I figure it out I'll let you know."

"I take it back, you're not a cruel woman," Nikola started, making Helen raise her eyebrows in surprise. "You are an evil, teasing, awful person who likes picking on the young and frail."

Helen scoffed. "You? Young and frail?"

"I'm younger than you," Nikola pointed out.

"So are the majority of living people. You, however, are the only one I've shot - repeatedly I might add - that keeps coming back."

"Well that's because I love you," Nikola said easily, slouching slightly in his seat.

Helen paused for a moment, shaking her head as her brain registered what her ears had just heard. "I do wish you'd stop saying that."

Nikola stirred his tea, happily noting it had gone cold - now he didn't have to drink it! "Well it's true so why not?" he shrugged.

Helen was silent before starting and checking her phone. "I, um, need to go," she mumbled and quickly excused herself from the table. Nikola remained seated, his eyes still locked on his tea until he heard her leave the cafe.

He sighed. "Great, I blew it again."

"Um, pardon me, sir," a waitress said a few moments later, causing Nikola to startle.

"Yes?"

"That lady you were with, she asked me to give you this," the waitress explained, placing a steaming cup on the table before excusing herself.

Nikola frowned and sniffed the drink, before cocking his head to the side and frowning more. Tentatively, he took a sip. The heat had burned his tongue, but he smiled all the same.

"Coffee. Ha, she does like me."


End file.
